India’s Vision for Artificial Intelligence – Global Good and Inclusive Growth

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• Prime Minister Narendra Modi articulated India’s Artificial Intelligence Vision at the AI Impact Summit 2026, emphasising AI as a global common good and announcing the New Delhi Frontier AI Impact Commitments.

India’s Approach to Artificial Intelligence

• At the AI Impact Summit held in New Delhi, the Prime Minister stated that India does not view Artificial Intelligence (AI) with fear, but sees “fortune and the future” in it. 
• Addressing global technology leaders and policymakers, he argued that AI represents a transformative moment in human history and must be shaped responsibly.
• India’s approach differs from that of some countries and corporations that treat AI as a strategic and confidential asset. 
• Instead, India has proposed that AI should be developed as a “global common good” benefitting humanity only when it is shared openly.
• The Prime Minister emphasised that open-source development and collaborative innovation would allow millions of young innovators worldwide to make AI systems safer and more effective.

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The MANAV Framework

• Central to India’s Artificial Intelligence Vision is the “MANAV” framework, an acronym representing key governance principles:
  • Moral and Ethical Systems: AI must be grounded in ethical guidelines.
  • Accountable Governance: Transparent rules and strong oversight mechanisms are necessary.
  • National Sovereignty: Data ownership must remain with those who generate it.
  • Accessible and Inclusive: AI should not become a monopoly but act as a multiplier for society.
  • Valid and Legitimate: AI applications must be lawful, verifiable, and trustworthy.
• This framework reflects India’s attempt to balance innovation with regulation, ensuring AI remains human-centric rather than machine-centric.

AI as a Tool for Inclusion and Global South Leadership

• India positioned itself as a voice for the Global South in AI governance. The Prime Minister underlined that AI must be democratised and used for inclusion and empowerment, especially in developing countries.
• The summit also saw the signing of the New Delhi Frontier AI Impact Commitments, a voluntary framework adopted by major global and Indian AI companies, including Google, OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, Anthropic, and Indian firms.
• These commitments focus on:
  • Evaluating AI systems for real-world contexts.
  • Strengthening multilingual and cross-cultural AI capabilities.
  • Enhancing analysis of AI’s impact on jobs, skills, and economic transformation.
• Companies pledged to publish statistical insights from anonymised and aggregated usage data by the next summit. This is aimed at supporting evidence-based policymaking.

Multilingual AI and Digital Public Infrastructure

• A notable development was the live-streaming of the Prime Minister’s speech in seven Indian languages using AI-powered translation tools. 
• This reflects India’s push to leverage digital public infrastructure such as BHASHINI for language inclusion.
• The emphasis on multilingual AI is critical for India, given its linguistic diversity. It also aligns with the broader goal of making AI accessible beyond English-dominant ecosystems.

AI Governance, Deepfakes and Authenticity Standards

• The Prime Minister raised concerns about deepfakes and fabricated content destabilising open societies. Drawing an analogy with food nutrition labels, he suggested that digital content should carry authenticity labels to help users distinguish between real and AI-generated material.
• The need for watermarking and source verification standards was highlighted as part of responsible AI governance. This aligns with global debates on regulating generative AI and combating misinformation.

Economic Transformation and Skilling

• AI was described as a catalyst for higher-value and creative roles, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. 
• However, the Prime Minister emphasised the importance of skilling, reskilling, and upskilling to manage workforce transitions.
• India is simultaneously building a resilient ecosystem that includes semiconductor manufacturing, quantum computing, secure data centres, and a robust IT backbone.
• According to the Prime Minister, any AI model that succeeds in India’s diverse and large-scale environment can be deployed globally.
• This positions India as a potential hub for affordable, scalable, and secure AI solutions.

Strategic Context and Global Debate

• The summit took place amid global competition over AI dominance. 
• While some countries advocate building AI systems within closed national stacks, India has emphasised openness and collaboration.
• India’s Artificial Intelligence Vision thus seeks to balance:
  • Technological sovereignty,
  • Ethical governance,
  • Economic growth, and
  • Global cooperation.

Source: TH | IE